This is Otis McDonald, the face of the gun-lobby lawsuit now before the U.S. Supreme Court that will likely overturn Chicago's handgun ban. I spent an afternoon with him to hear exactly why a black, liberal Democrat would side with the gun lobby. I expected the 76-year-old grandfather to spew a load of conservative gun-nut propaganda. Instead, Mr. McDonald told me the story of his life over slices of venison bologna and in-between calls from his lawyer, Alan Gura.
Mr. McDonald message was clear: It's unfair to force an elderly man and his wife to sit inside their home defenseless when neighborhood criminals all around them are armed with a cache of weapons the size of a small militia.
For me-- a guy who's never shot a gun but lives in a shoot-em-up part of town -- Mr. McDonald's calm, reasoned insights were eye opening.
Here's Mr. McDonald's story.
I'm not sure if I'd go out and get a 9mm pistol if the ban is overturned, but I understand why some folks might want the opportunity. What do you think?
At his best, Mark Konkol is a White Sox fan. He lives on the South Side. He
enjoys cold beer. At one time or another over the last 10 years, he's covered Chicago and Cook County government, city schools, transportation and the ins-and-outs of neighborhood life. E-mail him at 